South Sudan: three dead in UN-contracted helicopter crash near Bentiu

26 August 2014  The United Nations mission in South Sudan has confirmed that three crew members died and another was injured when one of its helicopters crashed today near Bentiu, Unity state.

“I wish to convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish a full and speedy recovery to the injured crew member,” Toby Lanzer, officer-in-charge of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said in a press release.

The UN-contracted MI-8 helicopter, which was on a routine cargo flight from Wau in Western Bahr El Ghazal state to Bentiu, lost contact with the UN Mission at 14:28 local time and crashed about 10 km south of Bentiu in Unity state.

The Mission is now conducting an investigation on the cause of the crash.